It’s the second change order for the Pearl project. Council approved the first – for $155,898 – in March.

That’s a total of $291,228 in change orders so far. The amount represents 3 percent of the original $7.05 million contract awarded to Fabrizi Trucking & Paving Co. Inc.

Some council members, during Monday’s pre-meeting caucus, expressed concern about the rising costs and asked if the city can expect more change orders.

Mayor Thomas Perciak said yes. He said it’s impossible to know what problems workers will face during a project until they start digging.

City Engineer Ken Mikula said the latest change order is actually part two of the first one. Both will pay for the same unforeseen work.

Mikula said most of the two change orders will pay for a temporary concrete cap that Fabrizi placed over a water line.

According to city documents, the cap was needed to protect the water line – which was installed earlier in the project than originally planned – as Fabrizi worked on the road.

The change orders will also pay for the lowering of sanitary-sewer laterals from the sewer main to five private properties along Pearl. The laterals were in the way of new storm sewers that are part of the Pearl project, city documents say.

Also, extra money was needed because the price of one item related to the Pearl project wasn’t known at the time of the contract signing, and because an AT&T communications line “conflicted” with one of the sewer pipes.

More costs accrued due to a project delay. It happened when Fabrizi needed direction from the Cleveland Division of Water regarding a pipe tee and valve.

During a public hearing on the ordinance, Janet Neal, an Albion Road resident, said she didn’t understand the purpose of the legislation. She said council should consider keeping the commission intact to protect the city’s historical buildings and district for future generations.

According to the ordinance, the city created the seven-member commission in 1982. Its job is to help preserve the historical and cultural character of Strongsville’s town center.

The ordinance says the city’s Planning Commission and Architectural Review Board would take over the town center commission’s duties.

Perciak told Neal that under the ordinance, the city’s historic town center would remain intact.

However, Eve Hawk, a longtime member of the town center commission, told Northeast Ohio Media Group after the meeting that the city’s historic district would lose a layer of protection if the volunteer commission were eliminated.

Council did not vote on the ordinance Monday night.

2. Council had a public hearing on a proposal to rezone two parcels on the east side of Pearl Road just south of Shurmer Road.

The two bowling-lane shaped lots, just south of St. John Neumann Catholic Church, are zoned for business in front and residential in back.

Brothers Jim and Jeff Mancuso, whose family owns the lots, want to rezone the two residential sections into a business district for possible future development.

“We currently have no plans for a development whatsoever,” Jeff Mancuso told council Monday.

Clifford said she hoped that whatever is built would include a buffer between the Mancuso land and her property.

Jeff Mancuso said his family would make sure that if his family’s land is ever developed, an adequate buffer would exist.

Council did not vote on the rezoning. If the city approves the rezoning for the ballot, it would not reach voters until November.

3. Council agreed to buy road salt, once again, through the Ohio Department of Transportation for the 2014-2015 winter season.

Under the agreement, the city would buy about 14,000 tons of salt for a price not to exceed $700,000. The price for each ton would be determined through ODOT’s bidding process.

Last winter, the state contract was with Morton Salt Inc. ODOT and communities that purchased salt through the state paid $28 a ton. Perciak said he doubts whether any salt provider will offer such a low price next winter.

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